CCTV required for slaughterhouses - July 2018 update

As widely publicised, on May 4th 2018, the UK Government issued new regulations for slaughterhouses. The guidance document ‘CCTV in slaughterhouses: rules for operators’ details obligations for slaughterhouse operators in England.

Under the regulations, slaughterhouse operators must install and operate a CCTV system in all areas of the slaughterhouse where there are live animals. They are also required to keep CCTV images for 90 days from the date taken and make them available for inspectors to view, copy or seize.

Whilst there is an ‘adjustment period’ to install systems, abattoir operators will be required to install and operate the CCTV systems and to be able to store the footage and information by 5 November 2018.

Businesses with CCTV for reasons other than animal welfare are also obliged to allow Official Veterinarians to inspect, copy or seize records if these cameras record an animal welfare incident.

The legislation is intended to protect animal welfare, but it will also enable businesses to protect themselves and their reputations from staff who may be mishandling animals and from contamination of the production line. Slaughterhouse CCTV will allow the monitoring and tracking of incidents and problems.

Abattoir CCTV legislation FAQs

I manage an abattoir. What do I need to do?You will need to make sure that:• There is CCTV covering all areas of the slaughterhouse where live animals are present,• Official vets are allowed unrestricted access to CCTV recordings,• Recordings must be retained for 90 days.

When does this need to happen?• Systems need to be in place by 5th November 2018.

What will happen if the slaughterhouse or abattoir does not comply?• Slaughterhouses can be given a welfare enforcement notice,• Staff licences may be suspended or revoked, • Operators may be referred for a criminal investigation,• Any operator found guilty of an offence may be required to pay a fine which can be unlimited.

CCTV system requirements

• Cameras must be positioned so that there is a complete and clear view of all areas where there are live animals,• CCTV cameras should cover unloading, lairage, handling, restraining, stunning, bleeding and killing areas, with no blind spots,• The system must provide a complete and clear image; picture resolution must be good enough for it to be possible to identify images of people captured in the recorded images,• CCTV system should produce as close to real time recordings as practically possible, with a recommended minimum frame-rate of 15 frames per second,• The system must be capable of constant recording. It must be able to produce images and information for inspection or to be taken away by an inspector, without stopping the overall operation of the system.

In response to these significant changes to the industry, The Bloomfield Group is offering a free CCTV system consultation to all abattoirs and slaughterhouses in the UK. Simply complete the form below to book a free survey, or call the team on 0844 984 9645.

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